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J. T. PRITOHARD. v AUTOMATIC ALARM ,PoR RAILROAD cRossmes.

No. 311,607. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

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JOHN T. PRITOHARD, OF CARSON CITY, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JEFF XVORK, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR RAILROAD-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,607, dated February 3, 1885.

Applii'aiion filed February 15, 1884. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. PRITOHARD, of Carson City, county of Ormsby, and State of Nevada, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Alarm for Railway-Crossings; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a device for giving a signal or alarm from the train whenever a crossing is approached, or at any other desired time; and it consists of a mechanism connected with the bell and the whistle of the 10- comotive, by which they may be sounded, and

a means for operating this mechanism at the 1 desired point, all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of my device, showing its application to a locomotive. Fig. 2 is a 2 detail of construction.

A is a locomotive having the usual bell, B, and whistle Gattached. Thelevers D and Eextend alongaboveorat thesidesoftheboiler,and are fulcrumed at F and G. The two levers are 2 5 united byabar, H, or in othersuitable manner, and a rod, I, connects with them and extends down to a point beneath the engineframe, where it is connected with the strap of an cc centric, J, or with an equivalent crank upon 0 the shaft K. This shaft has a wheel, Ii, upon it, and below this wheel is a small wheel, M, fixed upon a shaft, N. One or both of these wheel-surfaces are covered with rubber, so as to produce an elastic frictional contact which 5 will adjust itself to inequalities of surface or movement. The shaft N has a large wheel, 0, secured to it, so that its periphery runs at a point between the rails and about levelwith their surfaces,or at such aheight as to clear the 0 ordinary obstructions between the rails. At

any point Where it is desired to have the mechanism operate, a raised central rail or timber, P, is fixed, having the end-beveled, so that the wheel 0 will run up on it easily, and of such a length as to continue the rotation of the wheel and operation of the mechanism as long as may be desired. The journal-boxes of the shaft N are fitted to slide vertically in guides Q, and stout spiral springs R above them keep them down; but they will yield when the wheel 0 runs upon the rail P, so as to allow it to adjust itself to the surface of the rail, at the same time holding it down with sufficient force to cause it to revolve. The upper shaft, K, also has its journat boxes fit- 5 ted to slide in the same guides, Q, and with spiral springs R above them, so that they are held between the springs It and B. This allows the shaft K an independent adjustment to suit the movements of the wheels L and M 6 upon each other, besides a movement upward corresponding with that of the lower boxes and shaft.

S is a turn-buckle in the rod I, by which its length or the position of the levers D and E 6 may be regulated. The lever I) is slotted at its end, and a erank-arm,T, from the bell enters this slot, so that as the lever is caused to move up and down by the action of the eccentric and the mechanism before described the bell will be made to swing and ring. The lever D has its fulcrum much nearer to the operatingrod I than that of the lever E, so that its long arm connecting with the bell will give it a sufficient motion to ring. Thelever E hasapin, 7 U, projecting from its end, and this engages with the whistle-lever V and causes it to sound the whistle at each oscillation of the lever, a spring, XV, pulling the lever back and closing the valve as soon as it is released. The lever E has a joint at a, and a sleeve, b, is fitted to slide upon the lever, being moved by a lever,

c, and a connecting-link, d. When this sleeve is slipped over thejoint, it holds it rigid and causes the pin U to act upon the whistle-lever 8 when the rod I is lifted; but when the sleeve is pushed back from the joint it allows the end of the lever to drop down, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the pin will not act upon the whistle-lever. 0

I am aware that devices for sounding a hell or whistle by mechanisms actuated from the road-bed have been used, and I do not claim such, broadly.

Having thus described my invention, what I 5 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The levers D and E, connected, respectively, with thebell and the whistle of a locomotive, and having their ends united, in combination with a connecting-rod, I, and an act uating mechanism, the fulcrum of the lever D being placed nearer to the rod than the fulrum of the lever E, so that the levers have different lengths of stroke at their opposite ends, substantially as herein described.

2. The lever D, connected with the bell, and the lever E, connected with the whistle, of a locomotive, both levers being connected by a rod, I. with a single actuating mechanism, in combination With a joint, a, and sleeve b, whereby the lever E may be thrown out of action Without disconnecting, substantially as described.

3. In combination with th Whistle-lever V and spring W, the lever E, with the pin U, joint a, sleeve 1), and lever a, substantially as herein described. 20

4. In combination with the levers D and E and connecting-rod I, the crank or eccentric, and the shaft K, with its vertically-moving journal-boxes, the wheel-shaft N, with movable boxes, and the adjusting'springs R and 25 R. wheels L, M, and O, and the'raised rail P, substantially as herein described.

I11 witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JoHN- T. PRITOHARD.

W'itnesses:

FRANK BELL, JOHN E. COULTER. 

